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Atramortum
Planetary Data Atramortum is quite difficult to detect or track in its rogue movement throughout space. Orbiting no celestial body, it travels across the cosmos at a moderate rate, but the primary thing making it difficult to detect is its very dark color. It is almost uniformly a deep, glossy black, reflecting some light from off its inky surface- giving it its glossy appearance- but generally not being particularly obvious, against the also-quite-dark backdrop of outer space. The black coloration of Atramortum from space comes primarily from the ecosystem it supports. Alongside its soil and water being already very dark in coloration, almost all of the planet is host to a rapidly-spreading mycelial colony, shiny black and always somewhat damp with spore-carrying fluid. This mycelium stretches and grows across all surfaces on the planet, forming thin slime-like membranes between the ground and any vertical surfaces. The planet itself is fairly uniform aside from the occasional hill or outcrop of black minerals. Areas that are particularly thick with fungal growth may also sprout inky black mushrooms, reaching anywhere from mere inches to several meters in height. They drip spore-laden fluid from their gills. Atramortum is most well-known for the unfortunate characteristics of its fungal colony- in any being where its fairly considerable toxicity doesn't simply kill them outright, it has a tendency to parasitize the body and cause muscle spasms and nerve damage. Alongside this, it is also very eager to spread into just about any untouched space, including passing starships or other celestial bodies. Traces of Atramortum fungus have been found on an assortment of asteroids and other planets wherever the planet has passed by. Inhabitants The natives of Atramortum, the enigmatic Atramortites, are somewhat mysterious in terms of their anatomy. Their body holds what could be loosely described as a "bipedal" shape, but from the shoulders down, their torso thins down into an amorphous body, spreading out into a flat base at the very bottom. Their whole shape gives the vague impression of a bipedal figure wearing an ominous longcoat. Their head is round and mostly featureless, aside from a hairlike assortment of short tentacles atop their head, and a single large silver eye. Atramortites are semimorphous creatures, and can often be seen with thin membranes stretching between parts of their body, much like the membranes that Atramortum's fungal colonies tend to form. They are capable of changing the shape of their bodies to extend appendages from their torsoes when needed, or to mimic other races...not that they use it for that purpose very much. The Atramortites are a quiet and reclusive race, spending most of their time wandering between a plethora of small camps to gather resources (odd as they may be) to either sustain themselves or use for craft. They do not exactly jump at the opportunity to socialize with other races, or even with each other- they lead primarily solitary lives, though small groups of up to four are not unheard of. Unusually for fauna in contact with Atramortum fungus, they seem to be immune to its effects, and in fact frequently gather mushroom material and spore fluid to use as a sort of impromptu wood and ink for their homes and craft. Atramortites are surprisingly good writers, and some of their literature has been shared with other races (provided they took the precautions to avoid infection). Their work is regarded as highly imaginative, if somewhat oppressively dark at times. The Atramortites seem to be genuinely unaware of the highly infectious nature of their homeworld, and regard mention of it with confusion and some curiosity. Game Data }} Gallery Atramortite Unmeteosed.png|An Atramortite. Category:Homeworlds